In their recent auction, ComicLink sold a copy of Bronze Age Marvel key Giant-Size X-Men #1 CGC 9.8 for an impressive $12,656.

Giant-Size X-Men #1 has long been considered one of the key comic books of the 1970s. It was published in 1975 and launched a new era for the team created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1963. Giant-Size X-Men #1 was the first new issue of X-Men published in five years and introduced a new international team of mutants including Storm, Colossus, and Nightcrawler. It also featured just the second full appearance of Wolverine after Incredible Hulk #181 and was the first comic book to show him in his traditional garb.

Giant-Size X-Men #1 was soon followed by X-Men #94, which was the first issue of the regular title to feature what fans began to call “The New X-Men.” Initially published bimonthly among a large group of Marvel team titles, it actually took the “New X-Men” a few years to really break away from the pack, but by 1980, when the landmark “Dark Phoenix Saga” ran through several issues of the title, it had become one of most popular comic books in the industry. This popularity of the title made Giant-Size X-Men #1, the start of the “New” team, one of the most collectible comic books of its era. The X-Men saw continued fan support in the comic book world for the next two decades. With the much anticipated integration of the X-Men characters into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there are plenty of possibilities for the favored mutants interacting with the movie versions of Marvel’s other characters.

“This Giant-Size X-Men #1 sale is just one of many record-setting prices that we have seen for key comic books from the Bronze era in pristine condition, a segment of the market that has really come alive in recent auctions,” ComicLink CEO Josh Nathanson said.

Another very interesting sale this week was Special Marvel Edition #15 CGC 9.8 for a record $3,300, which spiked due to the Marvel movie announcement for a Shang-Chi feature film.

This 1973 release introduced the long-running Master of Kung Fu series, and its lead character, Shang-Chi. What made this sale so interesting was the timing. ComicLink had just auctioned another Special Marvel Edition #15 CGC 9.8 last week, ending on November 29, 2018, which sold for $1,600, a typical price for the book over the past year or so. Then just a few days later on Monday, December 3, reports came out in the media that Marvel Studios is fast-tracking a Master of Kung Fu movie as part of their popular Marvel Cinematic Universe. Later that day, the scheduled auction for a second example of Special Marvel Edition #15 CGC 9.8 closed, as mentioned above, at $3,300 – over double the price following the movie news.

According to ComicLink, over the past few years, they have seen similar growth for other Marvel first appearances, including the recent Eternals #1, a 1976 Marvel title that has seen increased value since a potential movie was announced. Eternals #1 CGC 9.8 sold for $1,038 in this week’s auction. Both of these recent cases demonstrate the continuing impact of Marvel Studios on the vintage comic book market and validates those who have been collecting high grade examples of first appearances of comic book characters who have not yet been announced for movie appearances.

ComicLink is currently accepting consignments for upcoming auctions including the next Focused Auction beginning on January 10 and the big Winter Featured Auction beginning on February 13, as well as other upcoming auctions. ComicLink and its affiliates (sportscardlink.com, certifiedlink.com) are seeking consignments of vintage comic books, comic related artwork, vintage sports cards, and certified coins. The firm provides upfront cash advances for consigned material, third party grading evaluation and submission, and promotion to their base of global bidders acquired over 22 years in the hobby ‒ all for a low commission rate.

Interested sellers may contact ComicLink by emailing buysell@comiclink.com or by calling (617) 517-0062 (option 1) to speak with Josh Nathanson, Douglas Gillock, Jason Crosby, Jon Signorelli, or Ross Kearney. In addition to auctioning items for consignors, ComicLink is also always accepting new sellers for the ComicLink exchange marketplaces, brokering private placement deals, and buying outright.

ComicLink’s previews of the Focused Auction and Winter Featured Auction, their schedule, the Comic Book Exchange, and Comic Art Exchange, can be seen on their website.